Author Topic: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Review needed and look what I've chosen.  (Read 21156 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline telegraphist

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 54
Hello dear members :)
the question I have is simple: which ergonomic pointing device wins: a best vertical mouse, or a best trackball?
And which one do you settled for, after comparing them yourself?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043T7FXE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
« Last Edit: Wed, 17 December 2014, 16:58:37 by telegraphist »

Offline jacobolus

  • Posts: 3661
  • Location: San Francisco, CA
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball.
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 24 October 2014, 18:53:49 »
They’re very different devices. You’ll get better precision/accuracy with a mouse or pen, but a trackball requires less hand movement.

Offline qihqi

  • Posts: 41
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball.
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 24 October 2014, 19:19:50 »
Also to add the option of trackpad.
I use Evoluent for work and honestly did not like it.
The problem is that using it my arm are in the same level as the desk, but when typing my arms are 2 cm above the desk (due to the thickness of the keyboard). That is pretty annoying. 

Offline davkol

  •  Post Editing Timeout
  • Posts: 4994
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball.
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 25 October 2014, 04:48:48 »
Why is this in reviews?

Offline hoggy

  • * Ergonomics Moderator
  • Posts: 1502
  • Location: Isle of Man
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball.
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 25 October 2014, 04:53:25 »
Telegraphist, why not have both?  I prefer a vertical mouse myself, I tend to use a trackball 'flat', which doesn't agree with my wrists too well.

Qhiqi, could you put a book under your mouse pad?
GH Ergonomic Guide (in progress)
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=54680.0

Offline telegraphist

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 54
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball.
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 25 October 2014, 11:37:57 »
Why is this in reviews?
I thought that a response to my question would be like a mini-review of the favorite trackball, or a vertical mouse if he/she could provide just a few reasons WHY he/she chose this particular pointing device.
So I just added to a subject line: "review needed".
Have a mellow day! ;D
« Last Edit: Sat, 25 October 2014, 11:42:45 by telegraphist »

Offline johndavis33

  • Posts: 231
  • Location: USA, Massachusetts
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 27 October 2014, 23:03:01 »
Why no trackpoint? Never having to move your wrists seems pretty ergonomic
HAVE AND WILL KEEP: HHKB - Printed white | Ducky Banana edition - Whites | Model M13 | Unidentified Goodwill keyboard - Simplified black ALPS
TOO BE SOLD: TG3 BL82 - Clears | Wheelwrite 5 - Buckling Springs typewriter
SOLD: Rosewill RK9000 - Blacks | QFR - Blues | Ducky G2 Pro - Greens |
IT WILL BE MINE: Northgate Omnikey - White ALPS

Offline ArchieTect

  • Posts: 18
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 27 October 2014, 23:41:53 »
Use both. I have an Amazon sharkk vertical and Expert mouse at work. Combined with X mouse button makes life enjoyable. I was well destined for rsi but completely reversed it. PS i sometimes use a wacom with my right hand. Its a whole new experience to use a pen for precision with my right, then use the trackball in my left to zip over to a menu. Never need to pick up the pen hand, only lift the tip out of range, then trackball takes over.

Offline jackalope

  • Posts: 165
  • Location: Chicago
  • Now with 20% more soul.
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 01 November 2014, 04:38:19 »
I have been wondering this as well.
eh o well

Offline jackalope

  • Posts: 165
  • Location: Chicago
  • Now with 20% more soul.
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 01 November 2014, 04:38:44 »
I have been wondering this as well.

Well at least the pro/cons of each
eh o well

Offline kurplop

  • THE HERO WE DON'T DESERVE
  • Posts: 992
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 01 November 2014, 10:24:02 »
I have not been able to find a pointing device that I liked out of the box. Because I like the ergonomics of a tray, the limited travel available on a tray limits me to stationary devices. When I have to use a mouse for extended periods, the humble 10 dollar joy/wow pen has great ergonomics for those that require less wrist pronation.

I like trackballs but don't like the feel of the thumb operated ones although some people do. I have severe arthritis in my thumbs and wrists and limited feeling in them, so I found the Logitech m570 akin to torture, comfortable to hold but not to use. Too bad, it seems like a nice trackball for  the right user.

I really like the action of large Kensington trackballs. Out of the box, I prefer the switch action of the Expert Mouse over the Slimblade but the Slimblade's smoother scrolling won me over. The Slimblade's lower profile is another draw, reducing the wrist extension necessary in use. I just think the switch feel leaves a lot to be desired; it seems to have a large target but a small sweet spot for comfortable switching.

Anyone that would require less wrist pronation might have an issue with most finger operated trackballs. In order to reach the switches the hand needs to be almost level with the table. That didn't work for me well at all. My solution was to inset the trackball into the work surface.  http://flic.kr/s/aHsjFazJhh This solved all of my ergonomic issues but in two different ways. The side mount arrangement lowers the unit and has a tilt that puts the trackball face in better alignment with the natural position of my hand. The center mount Slimblade has satellite switches that are well positioned and don't require an overly pronated hand.

Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6462
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #11 on: Sat, 01 November 2014, 14:32:06 »
I love the Wow Joy Pen mouse. The switches are a little stiff, so I changed out a set from an old Logitech ball mouse and it was a big improvement.

The Wow Joy is great because it is not actually vertical, your hand drapes across it at about 45 degrees which is much more comfortable and easier to manipulate.

A true vertical mouse is frustrating to use because when you push a button on one side, the "opposite and equal" reaction to the other side tries to move the mouse rather than actuate the button.

Evoluent is the most horrible and ill-conceived mouse that has ever touched my hand.
It is perfectly and exactly wrong in every way.

I just wish that there was a good left-hand vertical mouse.
"It turns out that for a decade, whenever Trump wanted to get a loan, or make a deal, he would inflate the value of his real estate. For instance, suggesting that his 11,000-square foot penthouse was a 30,000-square foot penthouse.
And the attorney general of New York knew that Trump's property values were inflated because when it came time to pay taxes, Trump undervalued the very same properties.
It was all part of a very sophisticated real estate practice known as “lying.”
- Jon Stewart 2024-03-28

Offline islisis

  • Posts: 120
  • Location: Tokyo, Japan
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 02 November 2014, 01:57:25 »
i've finally been able to use my evoluent vm4sw full-time using a high wrist rest (~2cm, really a forearm rest as vertical mice don't suffer from wrist pressure like horzontal mice). the mouse is a lot thinner at the top, which relieves strain on the thumb, and shorter too allowing fingertip gripping. it then becomes something like a high-centre of gravity DXT vertical mouse, with more buttons (which is all the DXT really needs...)
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36405.msg1232615#msg1232615
« Last Edit: Sun, 02 November 2014, 01:07:23 by islisis »

Offline telegraphist

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 54
Re: Best Vertical Mouse vs Best Trackball. Mini-review needed.
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 17 December 2014, 16:50:41 »
Well, i used this very well reviewed, decent and inexpensive vertical mouse for a few months:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEO4SH6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
, but replaced it with this best among Amazon users trackball: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043T7FXE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I am using it for a couple of months now and like it a lot!
(descrambler: I don't play games)